LOS ANGELES — Deni Avdija had another 20-point night, Jrue Holiday drew praise from the opposing coach for his two-way dominance and the Portland Trail Blazers’ incessant pressure wreaked havoc yet again.

But after watching his team dismiss the shorthanded Los Angeles Lakers Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter couldn’t help but marvel at the performance of another player, a performance, he says, that stood out above all others.

“I think, lowkey, Donovan (Clingan) was great tonight,” Splitter said after the Blazers breezed past the Lakers 122-108 to earn their first road win of the season. “He protected the rim. He got seven offensive rebounds. He got a lot of second chances for us, (had) 14 rebounds total. He was awesome.”

The superb play start

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